Package: make Version: 3.81-5 Severity: wishlist Tags: patch Make's package description could do with some dusting.
# Description: The GNU version of the "make" utility. Do readers really need to be told that the package "make" provides something called "make"? And isn't it pretty much the default assumption that Debian GNU/Linux is going to use GNU make rather than BSD make? I mean, sure, give it a Homepage field and mention it in the long description, but I would suggest that the short description of "make" should be a short description of "make": Description: standard build automation utility # GNU Make is a program that determines which pieces of a large # program need to be recompiled and issues the commands to recompile # them, when necessary. More information about GNU Make can be found in # the `make' Info page. The upstream sources for this package are # available at the location ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/make/. The # documentation for this package does not meet the Debian Free Software # Guidelines, and has been removed from this package. First point: instead of "there's more information in the info page [...] (PS: there's no info page)" it would make more sense to say "there's more information in the (non-free) package make-doc or on the web at [URL]". Second: homepage pointers have their own field these days. The verbiage about the upstream sources being available could be replaced by a pointer to http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/make/ or http://www.gnu.org/software/make/ (I'd go for the latter). Third (partly de-fanged if you accept the proposed short description change): this claim that "make" issues recompilation commands "when necessary" is untrue - it doesn't run a proactive library transition monitoring daemon, it just waits for somebody to invoke it! The package description takes it for granted that readers already know the single most fundamental fact it should be telling them: "make" is a tool that programmers traditionally use to trigger builds. This conventional role is also worth mentioning to avoid giving the impression that "make" is _only_ for recompiling large binaries from sourcecode - on the contrary, it's standard in debian/rules even for packages that are mere collections of icons or static text files. I would suggest: Make is a tool invoked as part of a standard build process. It can determine which pieces of a large program need to be recompiled, and issue the appropriate commands to recompile them. More information about GNU Make can be found in the (non-free) package "make-doc" or on the web at "http://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/";. Homepage: http://www.gnu.org/software/make/ None of these quibbles are higher than wishlist. -- System Information: Debian Release: lenny/sid APT prefers testing APT policy: (500, 'testing') Architecture: i386 (i686) Kernel: Linux 2.6.25.custom Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8) Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash Versions of packages make depends on: ii libc6 2.7-16 GNU C Library: Shared libraries make recommends no packages. Versions of packages make suggests: pn make-doc <none> (no description available) -- no debconf information -- JBR Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)
--- ../make.old/debian/control 2008-12-09 11:45:56.000000000 +0000 +++ debian/control 2008-12-09 13:59:09.000000000 +0000 @@ -12,12 +12,11 @@ Priority: standard Suggests: make-doc Architecture: any -Description: The GNU version of the "make" utility. - GNU Make is a program that determines which pieces of a large - program need to be recompiled and issues the commands to recompile - them, when necessary. More information about GNU Make can be found in - the `make' Info page. The upstream sources for this package are - available at the location ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/make/. The - documentation for this package does not meet the Debian Free Software - Guidelines, and has been removed from this package. +Description: standard build automation utility + Make is a tool invoked as part of a standard build process. It can + determine which pieces of a large program need to be recompiled, and + issue the appropriate commands to recompile them. More information + about GNU Make can be found in the (non-free) package "make-doc" or + on the web at "http://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/";. +Homepage: http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/make/ Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}
